Reciprocity
by yume girl 91
Summary: Rukia's been visiting Fifth Division a lot, Sosuke leaves and Shinji doesn't mind - who's going to tell Byakuya? AU 3rd from 64-Damn Prompts series


Prompt .3: Reciprocity

Urahara said he was old.

Chuckled in that annoying way (more like queer depending if you asked Hiyori) that they were both getting on in the years. Shinji glowered and muttered something beneath the curtain of blond hair.

He wasn't that old - no grey hairs at least; _okay maybe older than __**her**__._

He checked in the mirror each morning.

Sosuke laughed once when catching him at it and Shinji glowered at him too, reminding of work that needed to be done by his dear Vice Captain - all playfully scathing of course. Another smile and Sosuke left, most likely to prepare fresh tea for them.

..._it was times like this that he was glad he'd been wrong about the man_.

...

At approximately two in the afternoon, a time when things slowed down and the second pot of tea sat quietly steaming on a tray, a timid knock came on the door panel.

_As prompt as always_.

"Come in." Shinji called, his gaze fixated on the paper though really he wasn't reading child prodigy Hitsugaya's boring report rather his attention was focused on the slide and rasp of the stuck door, Sosuke sighed, "oh dear. Captain, I do believe that door is in need of oiling."

"Duly noted." He responded noncommittally, unable to suppress his grin with the tiny curse as the door panel jangled and rocked and finally got shoved back with a forceful push. The figure immediately dropped to a bow, "s-sorry, Captain Hirako, Vice Captain Aizen, for my intrusion!" The raven head sunk to a narrow chest.

"No need to be so formal, Kuchiki." Shinji drawled, finally deciding he'd been staring at the same sentence for too long. The newest member of the illustrious Kuchiki clan raised her head and bit her lip - cutely - hesitantly.

"Another message, Kuchiki-san?" Sosuke asked, pleasant to the point so much that Shinji sent a veiled glower, wishing he could send the man on an invisible errand all to get him away from the office. The little Kuchiki looked between them, and bit her lip more, withdrawing a somewhat crushed scroll rather remorsefully from her kosode's sleeve.

Shinji liked to think it got wrinkled from her hurried flight to Fifth. Sosuke took it without a comment about its sad state and broke the seal from Thirteenth's Captain, reading the small lines quickly. Too amusedly for Shinji's liking.

"Certainly. I'd like nothing more than to deliver flowers from Captain Ukitake to Captain Unohana." so solemn about the request, Shinji found it hard to keep the teeth-filled grin from twitching into place. _Really..was it that noticeable that even respectable Jushiro Ukitake was trying to get them together?_

He decided it must've been, if the little Kuchiki's frequent visits to Fifth's office on menial matters had been any indication add- (menial matters as barely veiled excuses). "Just go already!" He scoffed, with a shoving motion to his Vice Captain and the door. Sosuke shared a smile with him like a conspirator, _the dork_, and trotted out quite happily after leaving a boxy black object on his chair.

Seconds after he left, the music notes began.

_La vie en Rose_, Shinji recognized it immediately, making a later note to both scold and thank his Vice Captain for the gesture. Rukia twisted her little hands and approached his desk hesitantly then decided better on it and turned to flee - Shinji wouldn't let her though. He was up and out of his chair, around the desk and catching her from behind.

She squeaked, a little noise that brought a full-fledged smile to his lips.

"Come on, Rukia." He separated her worrying little hands. "Dance with me!" Then as she slowly turned, a slight blush on her cheeks. He couldn't resist adding, "ya do know how from manners class, right?"

She tried to kick him (Like Hiyori but without the indignity of a sandal-slap to boot) he evaded easily and lifted her arms, twirling her neatly. When she swished back to face him, she was blushing madly and pouting.

"Fine." She assented stiffly.

The recording changed.

_A kiss to build a dream on_, his second favorite as of late.

They slow-swayed to almost the end when her inquisitive violet eyes turned up to him.

"..um, Hirako-san-"

"It's _Shinji_!" he reminded with annoyance, sucking his teeth.

".._Shinji_, then." Rukia gave in with no little disagreement about lack of honorific. "When are you...going to ask Nii-sama to officially begin courting me?"

_/Oh, give me what you alone can give/ A kiss to build a dream on.../_

His smile twitched, thinking of the other Captain's pink petals of _Doom_. "Eh...I'll send Sosuke to do it." Then as the last line finished with resonant velvet, he bent and lightly kissed the top of her head, chastely, as a promise to _his first __**real **__love_.

-Fin-

Disclaimer: don't own Bleach otherwise it would've been haremguysxRukia!xD

AN: I'm still rather woozy from meds, the cold still rages on but I wrote this up. It's AU of course, Aizen's a good guy and all the Vizards are still Captains except for Ginrei Kuchiki being replaced by Byakuya.

No flames, haters!

Reviews loved ")


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